1
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Endo C. Feeding selectivity and a functional trade-off in a benthic fish with a continuous morphological variation: an experimental test. BMC ZOOL 2024; 9:5. [PMID: 38439035 PMCID: PMC10910733 DOI: 10.1186/s40850-024-00194-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Functional trade-offs through ecological specializations are hypothesized to become causes of adaptive phenotypic divergence under divergent natural selection, where intermediate phenotypes may have the lowest fitness. Evidence of phenotypic divergence in a trade-off between populations experiencing different environmental/ecological conditions is abundant. However, traits in divergent selection sometimes present non-discrete (unimodal) variability, including intermediate phenotypes, although the underlying mechanisms are poorly documented. A benthic cyprinid fish, Pseudogobio esocinus, in Lake Biwa, central Japan, exhibits a large non-discrete/continuous variation in mouthpart morphology (from wide to narrow) within a lake population. The variation is linked with individual diets (i.e., the compositions of two different types of prey) even at a single site, and thus the variability is hypothesized to persist under divergent selection for prey usage. As a first step toward understanding the persistence mechanisms, here I examined the presence of morphology-dependent feeding selectivity and a functional trade-off in a laboratory experiment. RESULTS When each experimental fish was simultaneously provided the different types of prey (chironomid larvae and amphipods), the fish mostly utilized chironomid larvae as primary prey. However, compared with the wider-mouthed fish, the narrower-mouthed fish took a larger proportion of amphipods as secondary prey by changing feeding (attacking) behavior. The intermediate-mouthed fish had lower feeding efficiency than the extreme-mouthed fish, indicating potential disadvantage of the intermediate phenotype. CONCLUSIONS This experimental result supports the presence of morphology-dependent feeding performance and a functional trade-off with potential impacts on trait variability, which may favor specializations rather than generalizations. In the wild, however, there may be some situations for relaxing the trade-off, such as temporally fluctuating prey availability that could also favor generalizations depending on the conditions, and thus, both extreme and intermediate phenotypes may persist/coexist in a single habitat. Although further examinations, especially focusing on feeding efficiency for each prey type separated from the effects of prey selectivity, are needed, this case represents an opportunity to consider the possible mechanisms of the persistence of phenotypic variation that is maintained without divergence even in a trade-off.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiharu Endo
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
- Laboratory of Forest Biology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, 606-8502, Kyoto, Japan.
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2
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Lu HL, Kang CQ, Meng QY, Hu JR, Melvin SD. Functional and hepatic metabolite changes in aquatic turtle hatchlings exposed to the anti-androgenic fungicide vinclozolin. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 231:113220. [PMID: 35066435 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Many man-made chemicals that are released into water bodies in agricultural landscapes have been identified as endocrine disruptors and can cause serious impacts on the growth and survival of aquatic species living in these environments. However, very little attention has been paid to their toxicological effects in cultured non-fish species, such as aquatic turtles. We exposed hatchlings of the Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) to different concentrations of vinclozolin (0, 5, 50 and 500 μg/L) for 60 days to assess physiological and metabolic impacts of this fungicide. Despite no death occurrence, hatchling turtles exposed to the highest concentration of vinclozolin consumed less food, grew more slowly (resulting in smaller body size after exposure) and performed more poorly in behavioral swimming tests than controls and turtles exposed to lower concentrations. Hepatic metabolite profiles acquired via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) revealed multiple metabolic perturbations related to amino acid, lipid, and fatty acid metabolism in animals exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations. Specifically, many critical metabolites involved in energy-related metabolic pathways (such as some intermediates in the tricarboxylic acid cycle, lactate, and some amino acids) were present in livers of hatchling turtles exposed vinclozolin, though at lower concentrations, reflecting energy metabolism dysregulation induced by exposure to this fungicide. Overall, our results suggest that the changes in growth and behavioral performances caused by chronic vinclozolin exposure may be associated with internal physiological and metabolic disorders mediated at the biochemical level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Liang Lu
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chun-Quan Kang
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qin-Yuan Meng
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jian-Rao Hu
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, Zhejiang, China
| | - Steven D Melvin
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia.
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3
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Population genetics and independently replicated evolution of predator-associated burst speed ecophenotypy in mosquitofish. Heredity (Edinb) 2022; 128:45-55. [PMID: 34876658 PMCID: PMC8733020 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-021-00487-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Many species show replicated ecophenotypy due to recurring patterns of natural selection. Based on the presence or absence of pursuit predators, at least 17 species of fish repeatedly differentiated in body shape in a manner that increases burst swimming speed and the likelihood of predator escape. The predator-associated burst speed (PABS) ecophenotype is characterized by a small head and trunk and enlarged caudal region. Mechanisms promoting replicated phenotype-environment association include selection (without evolution), a single instance of adaptive evolution followed by biased habitat occupation, repeated instances of local adaptation, or adaptive phenotypic plasticity. Common garden rearing of mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis, demonstrated a likely heritable basis for PABS phenotypy, but it is unknown whether populations are otherwise genetically distinct or whether replicated ecophenotypy represents a single or replicated instances of adaptation. To genetically characterize the populations and test hypotheses of single or multiple adaptations, we characterized variation in 12 polymorphic DNA microsatellites in the previously studied G. affinis populations. Populations were genetically distinct by multilocus analysis, exhibited high allelic diversity, and were heterozygote deficient, which effects were attributed to G. affinis's shoaling nature and habitat patchiness. Genetic and phenotypic distances among populations were correlated for non-PABS but not PABS morphology. Multilocus analysis demonstrated ecophenotype polyphyly and scattered multivariate genetic structure which support only the replicated-adaptation model. As all of the diverse tests performed demonstrated lack of congruence between patterns of molecular genetic and PABS differentiation, it is likely that divergent natural selection drove multiple instances of adaptive evolution.
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4
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Smolinský R, Baláž V, Nürnberger B. Tadpoles of hybridising fire-bellied toads (B. bombina and B. variegata) differ in their susceptibility to predation. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231804. [PMID: 33285552 PMCID: PMC7721483 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of adaptive divergence in the formation of new species has been the subject of much recent debate. The most direct evidence comes from traits that can be shown to have diverged under natural selection and that now contribute to reproductive isolation. Here, we investigate differential adaptation of two fire-bellied toads (Anura, Bombinatoridae) to two types of aquatic habitat. Bombina bombina and B. variegata are two anciently diverged taxa that now reproduce in predator-rich ponds and ephemeral aquatic sites, respectively. Nevertheless, they hybridise extensively wherever their distribution ranges adjoin. We show in laboratory experiments that, as expected, B. variegata tadpoles are at relatively greater risk of predation from dragonfly larvae, even when they display a predator-induced phenotype. These tadpoles spent relatively more time swimming and so prompted more attacks from the visually hunting predators. We argue in the discussion that genomic regions linked to high activity in B. variegata should be barred from introgression into the B. bombina gene pool and thus contribute to gene flow barriers that keep the two taxa from merging into one.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radovan Smolinský
- Research Facility Studenec, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtech Baláž
- Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Beate Nürnberger
- Research Facility Studenec, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
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5
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Gvoždík L, Boukal DS. Impacts of predator-induced behavioural plasticity on the temperature dependence of predator-prey activity and population dynamics. J Anim Ecol 2020; 90:503-514. [PMID: 33159686 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Predation is a key ecological interaction affecting populations and communities. Climate warming can modify this interaction both directly by the kinetic effects of temperature on biological rates and indirectly through integrated behavioural and physiological responses of the predators and prey. Temperature dependence of predation rates can further be altered by predator-induced plasticity of prey locomotor activity, but empirical data about this effect are lacking. We propose a general framework to understand the influence of predator-induced developmental plasticity on behavioural thermal reaction norms in prey and their consequences for predator-prey dynamics. Using a mesocosm experiment with dragonfly larvae (predator) and newt larvae (prey), we tested if the predator-induced plasticity alters the elevation or the slope of the thermal reaction norms for locomotor activity metrics in prey. We also estimated the joint predator-prey thermal response in mean locomotor speed, which determines prey encounter rate, and modelled the effect of both phenomena on predator-prey population dynamics. Thermal reaction norms for locomotor activity in prey were affected by predation risk cues but with minor influence on the joint predator-prey behavioural response. We found that predation risk cues significantly decreased the intercept of thermal reaction norm for total activity rate (i.e. all body movements) but not the other locomotor activity metrics in the prey, and that prey locomotor activity rate and locomotor speed increased with prey density. Temperature had opposite effects on the mean relative speed of predator and prey as individual speed increased with temperature in predators but decreased in prey. This led to a negligible effect of body temperature on predicted prey encounter rates and predator-prey dynamics. The behavioural component of predator-prey interaction varied much more between individuals than with temperature and the presence of predation risk cues in our system. We conclude that within-population variation in locomotor activity can buffer the influence of body temperature and predation risk cues on predator-prey interactions, and further research should focus on the magnitude and sources of behavioural variation in interacting species to predict the impact of climate change on predator-prey interactions and food web dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lumír Gvoždík
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - David S Boukal
- Department of Ecosystem Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Czech Academy of Sciences, Biology Centre, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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6
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Pujol-Buxó E, Kaliontzopoulou A, Unanue-Goikoetxea G, Ambrós B, Llorente GA. Geographical differences in competitive hierarchy in a native–invasive system. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Biological invasions can create novel competitive interactions and force ecological shifts in both native and invasive species. Anuran tadpoles are able to modify their behaviour, morphology, growth and development to cope with competitive pressure. This plasticity is a good target for natural selection and can drive rapid evolutionary changes in response to novel interactions. Here, we explore changes in plastic responses and fitness of competing invasive and native tadpoles by exposing tadpoles from different locations with contrasting evolutionary histories to the same set of varied competitive conditions. Eggs were collected from one site near the first introduction of the invasive frog (~110 years of coexistence) and from a second site that was invaded recently. We hypothesized less favourable outcomes for the invasive species in long-coexisting populations, where the native competitor might have developed adaptive responses. Most results support the hypothesis. Where the invasion was older, invasive tadpoles exposed to native competitors grew less, developed more slowly and displayed morphologies linked to competitive stress, whereas the developmental stability and canalization of native tadpoles increased. On the whole, the asymmetric competitive relationship thus appeared to approach symmetry after ~35 generations, highlighting a noteworthy example of rapid adaptation after an invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eudald Pujol-Buxó
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antigoni Kaliontzopoulou
- CIBIO/InBIO, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, University of Porto, Campus Agrario de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Gerezti Unanue-Goikoetxea
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Bàrbara Ambrós
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gustavo A Llorente
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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7
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Camarillo H, Arias Rodriguez L, Tobler M. Functional consequences of phenotypic variation between locally adapted populations: Swimming performance and ventilation in extremophile fish. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:512-523. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Revised: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Henry Camarillo
- Division of Biology Kansas State University Manhattan KS USA
| | - Lenin Arias Rodriguez
- División Académica de Ciencias Biológicas Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco Villahermosa México
| | - Michael Tobler
- Division of Biology Kansas State University Manhattan KS USA
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8
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Bels V, Herrel A. Feeding, a Tool to Understand Vertebrate Evolution Introduction to “Feeding in Vertebrates”. FEEDING IN VERTEBRATES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-13739-7_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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9
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Orizaola G, Richter-Boix A, Laurila A. Transgenerational effects and impact of compensatory responses to changes in breeding phenology on antipredator defenses. Ecology 2018; 97:2470-2478. [PMID: 27859081 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
As organisms living in temperate environments often have only a short time window for growth and reproduction, their life-history strategies are expected to be influenced by these time constraints. Parents may alter the pace of offspring life-history as a response to changes in breeding phenology. However, the responses to changes in time constraints must be balanced with those against other stressors, such as predation, one of the strongest and more ubiquitous selective factors in nature. Here, after experimentally modifying the timing of breeding and hatching in the moor frog (Rana arvalis), we studied how compensatory responses to delayed breeding and hatching affect antipredator strategies in amphibian larvae. We examined the activity patterns, morphology and life-history responses in tadpoles exposed to different combinations of breeding and hatching delays in the presence and absence of predators. We found clear evidence of adaptive transgenerational effects since tadpoles from delayed breeding treatments increased growth and development independently of predation risk. The presence of predators reduced tadpole activity, tadpoles from delayed breeding treatments maintaining lower activity than non-delayed ones also in the absence of predators. Tadpoles reared with predators developed deeper tails and bodies, however, tadpoles from breeding delay treatments had reduced morphological defenses as compared to non-delayed individuals. No significant effects of hatching delay were detected in this study. Our study reveals that amphibian larvae exposed to breeding delay develop compensatory life-history responses even under predation risk, but these responses trade-off with the development of morphological antipredator defenses. These results suggest that under strong time constraints organisms are selected to develop fast growth and development responses, and rely on lower activity rates as their main antipredator defense. Examining how responses to changes in phenology affect species interactions is highly relevant for better understanding ecological responses to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Germán Orizaola
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, 75236, Sweden
| | - Alex Richter-Boix
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, 75236, Sweden
| | - Anssi Laurila
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, 75236, Sweden
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10
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Hloušková M, Balogová M, Kršáková V, Gvoždík L. No trade-offs in interspecific interference ability and predation susceptibility in newt larvae. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:9095-9104. [PMID: 30271569 PMCID: PMC6157682 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Revised: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Coexistence of species with similar requirements is allowed, among others, through trade-offs between competitive ability and other ecological traits. Although interspecific competition is based on two mechanisms, exploitation of resources and physical interference, trade-off studies largely consider only species' ability to exploit resources. Using a mesocosm experiment, we examined the trade-off between interference competition ability and susceptibility to predation in larvae of two newt species, Ichthyosaura alpestris and Lissotriton vulgaris. In the presence of heterospecifics, L. vulgaris larvae slowed somatic growth and developmental rates, and experienced a higher frequency of injuries than in conspecific environments which suggests asymmetrical interspecific interference. During short-term predation trials, L. vulgaris larvae suffered higher mortality than I. alpestris. Larvae of the smaller species, L. vulgaris, had both lower interference and antipredator performance than the larger I. alpestris, which suggests a lack of trade-off between interference competition ability and predator susceptibility. We conclude that interference competition may produce a positive rather than negative relationship with predation susceptibility, which may contribute to the elimination of subordinate species from common habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Hloušková
- Department of Botany and ZoologyMasaryk UniversityBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Monika Balogová
- Institute of Biology and EcologyFaculty of ScienceP.J. Šafárik UniversityKošiceSlovakia
| | - Veronika Kršáková
- Department of Botany and ZoologyMasaryk UniversityBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Lumír Gvoždík
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of SciencesBrnoCzech Republic
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11
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Lindgren B, Orizaola G, Laurila A. Interacting effects of predation risk and resource level on escape speed of amphibian larvae along a latitudinal gradient. J Evol Biol 2018; 31:1216-1226. [PMID: 29802672 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2017] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Fast-growing genotypes living in time-constrained environments are often more prone to predation, suggesting that growth-predation risk trade-offs are important factors maintaining variation in growth along climatic gradients. However, the mechanisms underlying how fast growth increases predation-mediated mortality are not well understood. Here, we investigated if slow-growing, low-latitude individuals have faster escape swimming speed than fast-growing high-latitude individuals using common frog (Rana temporaria) tadpoles from eight populations collected along a 1500 km latitudinal gradient. We measured escape speed in terms of burst and endurance speeds in tadpoles raised in the laboratory at two food levels and in the presence and absence of a predator (Aeshna dragonfly larvae). We did not find any latitudinal trend in escape speed performance. In low food treatments, burst speed was higher in tadpoles reared with predators but did not differ between high-food treatments. Endurance speed, on the contrary, was lower in high-food tadpoles reared with predators and did not differ between treatments at low food levels. Tadpoles reared with predators showed inducible morphology (increased relative body size and tail depth), which had positive effects on speed endurance at low but not at high food levels. Burst speed was positively affected by tail length and tail muscle size in the absence of predators. Our results suggest that escape speed does not trade-off with fast growth along the latitudinal gradient in R. temporaria tadpoles. Instead, escape speed is a plastic trait and strongly influenced by the interaction between resource level and predation risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Lindgren
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Germán Orizaola
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anssi Laurila
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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12
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A procession of metabolic alterations accompanying muscle senescence in Manduca sexta. Sci Rep 2018; 8:1006. [PMID: 29343811 PMCID: PMC5772441 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-19630-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 01/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological aging profoundly impairs muscle function, performance, and metabolism. Because the progression of metabolic alterations associated with aging muscle has not been chronicled, we tracked the metabolic profiles of flight muscle from middle to advanced age in Manduca sexta to identify key molecules during the progression of muscle aging, as well as to evaluate the utility of the M. sexta system for molecular dissection of muscle aging. We identified a number of differences between Diel Time, Sexes, and Muscle Ages, including changes in metabolites related to energetics, extracellular matrix turnover, and glutathione metabolism. Increased abundances of glycolytic metabolites suggest a shift toward increased glycolysis with advancing age, whereas decreased abundances in lysolipids and acylcarnitines reflect decreasing beta-oxidation. We also observed a shift towards decreased polyamine metabolism with age, which might result in an age-related decline in lipid metabolism possibly due to regulation of energy metabolism by polyamines. Collectively, our findings demonstrate the feasibility of our system and approach and provide a deeper understanding of lepidopteran aging. More importantly, the results identify the key altered metabolic pathways that collectively contribute to the muscle aging phenotype and thereby improve our understanding of muscle senescence.
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13
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McCormick MI, Fakan E, Allan BJM. Behavioural measures determine survivorship within the hierarchy of whole‐organism phenotypic traits. Funct Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mark I. McCormick
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Qld Australia
- Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture James Cook University Townsville Qld Australia
| | - Eric Fakan
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Qld Australia
- Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture James Cook University Townsville Qld Australia
| | - Bridie J. M. Allan
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Qld Australia
- Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture James Cook University Townsville Qld Australia
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14
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Van Buskirk J. Spatially heterogeneous selection in nature favors phenotypic plasticity in anuran larvae. Evolution 2017; 71:1670-1685. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2015] [Accepted: 03/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Josh Van Buskirk
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; University of Zurich; Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH-8057 Zurich Switzerland
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15
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Embryonic yolk removal affects neither morphology nor escape performance of larval axolotls. ZOOLOGY 2017; 122:7-15. [PMID: 28365231 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2017.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Revised: 01/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Maternal effects, the influences of maternal phenotype on the phenotypes of her offspring, mediate early ontogenetic traits through maternal investment. In amphibians, provisioning eggs with yolk is the main source of maternal investment. While larger eggs generally result in larger, higher-quality offspring, the relationship between egg size and offspring phenotype is complicated because offspring can evolve to be more or less responsive to variation in yolk provisions. Previous studies of several ambystomatid salamanders suggest that the effects of embryonic yolk reserve reduction on hatchling life history traits increase with egg size. In this study, a similar controlled experimental yolk removal technique in Ambystoma mexicanum was used to determine the effects of reduced yolk reserves on phenotypes including hatching time and stage, hatchling and larval size and performance in predation trials with fish. Surprisingly, yolk reduction revealed no effects on any traits. These findings suggest that larval morphology in A. mexicanum is highly canalized and larval phenotypes are decoupled from yolk reserve variation. This surprising lack of yolk removal effects in hatchling and larval axolotls illustrates the evolutionary flexibility of early life history traits. Traits can evolve to increase or decrease their response to resources and can even become completely unresponsive. Since we found no effects in early life history, we hypothesize that domestication of the axolotl may have altered yolk properties or allocation dynamics and that maternal investment in yolk reserves may manifest at later life stages by reducing the time to reproductive maturity or increasing fecundity.
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16
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Swaegers J, Strobbe F, McPeek M, Stoks R. Selection on escape performance during ecological speciation driven by predation. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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17
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Alarcón-Ríos L, Velo-Antón G, Kaliontzopoulou A. A non-invasive geometric morphometrics method for exploring variation in dorsal head shape in urodeles: sexual dimorphism and geographic variation inSalamandra salamandra. J Morphol 2017; 278:475-485. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 11/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Alarcón-Ríos
- Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas; Área de Ecología, Universidad de Oviedo; Oviedo Spain
- Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad (UMIB), CSIC-Universidad de Oviedo-Principado de Asturias; Mieres Spain
| | - Guillermo Velo-Antón
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigacão em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias de Vairão 7, Universidade do Porto; Vairão Portugal
| | - Antigoni Kaliontzopoulou
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigacão em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias de Vairão 7, Universidade do Porto; Vairão Portugal
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18
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Pujol‐Buxó E, García‐Guerrero C, Llorente GA. Alien versus predators: effective induced defenses of an invasive frog in response to native predators. J Zool (1987) 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E. Pujol‐Buxó
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | - C. García‐Guerrero
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | - G. A. Llorente
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
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19
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Ingley SJ, Camarillo H, Willis H, Johnson JB. Repeated evolution of local adaptation in swimming performance: population-level trade-offs between burst and endurance swimming inBrachyrhaphisfreshwater fish. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Spencer J. Ingley
- Evolutionary Ecology Laboratories; Department of Biology; Brigham Young University; Provo UT 84602 USA
| | - Henry Camarillo
- Evolutionary Ecology Laboratories; Department of Biology; Brigham Young University; Provo UT 84602 USA
| | - Hannah Willis
- Evolutionary Ecology Laboratories; Department of Biology; Brigham Young University; Provo UT 84602 USA
| | - Jerald B. Johnson
- Evolutionary Ecology Laboratories; Department of Biology; Brigham Young University; Provo UT 84602 USA
- Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum; Brigham Young University; Provo UT 84602 USA
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20
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Perotti MG, Pueta M, Jara FG, Úbeda CA, Moreno Azocar DL. Lack of functional link in the tadpole morphology induced by predators. Curr Zool 2016; 62:227-235. [PMID: 29491910 PMCID: PMC5804239 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2015] [Accepted: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Most studies of predator-induced plasticity have focused on documenting how prey species respond to predators by modifying phenotypic traits and how traits correlate with fitness. We have previously shown that Pleurodema thaul tadpoles exposed to the dragonfly Rhionaeschna variegata responded strongly by showing morphological changes, less activity, and better survival than non-exposed tadpoles. Here, we tested whether there is a functional link between morphological plasticity and increased survival in the presence of predators. Tadpoles that experienced predation risk were smaller, less developed, and much less active than tadpoles without this experience. Burst speed did not correlate significantly with morphological changes and predator-induced deeper tails did not act as a lure to divert predator strikes away from the head. Although we have previously found that tadpoles with predator-induced morphology survive better under a direct predator threat, our results on the functional link between morphology and fitness are not conclusive. Our results suggest that in P. thaul tadpoles (1) burst speed is not important to evade predators, (2) those exposed to predators reduce their activity, and (3) morphological changes do not divert predator attacks away from areas that compromise tadpole survivalEE. Our results show that morphological changes in P. thaul tadpoles do not explain burst speed or lure attraction, although there was a clear reduction of activity, which itself reduces predation. We propose that changes in tadpole activity could be further analyzed from another perspective, with morphological change as an indirect product of behavior mediated by physiological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Gabriela Perotti
- Laboratorio de Fotobiología, INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral 1250, Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
| | - Mariana Pueta
- Laboratorio de Fotobiología, INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral 1250, Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina.,Departamento de Biología General. Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral 1250, Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina, and
| | - Fabián Gastón Jara
- Laboratorio de Fotobiología, INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral 1250, Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
| | - Carmen Adria Úbeda
- Departamento de Zoología, INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral 1250, 8400, Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
| | - Debora Lina Moreno Azocar
- Laboratorio de Fotobiología, INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral 1250, Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
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21
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Martin CH. Context dependence in complex adaptive landscapes: frequency and trait-dependent selection surfaces within an adaptive radiation of Caribbean pupfishes. Evolution 2016; 70:1265-82. [PMID: 27130447 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2015] [Accepted: 04/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The adaptive landscape provides the foundational bridge between micro- and macroevolution. One well-known caveat to this perspective is that fitness surfaces depend on ecological context, including competitor frequency, traits measured, and resource abundance. However, this view is based largely on intraspecific studies. It is still unknown how context-dependence affects the larger features of peaks and valleys on the landscape which ultimately drive speciation and adaptive radiation. Here, I explore this question using one of the most complex fitness landscapes measured in the wild in a sympatric pupfish radiation endemic to San Salvador Island, Bahamas by tracking survival and growth of laboratory-reared F2 hybrids. I present new analyses of the effects of competitor frequency, dietary isotopes, and trait subsets on this fitness landscape. Contrary to expectations, decreasing competitor frequency increased survival only among very common phenotypes, whereas less common phenotypes rarely survived despite few competitors, suggesting that performance, not competitor frequency, shapes large-scale features of the fitness landscape. Dietary isotopes were weakly correlated with phenotype and growth, but did not explain additional survival variation. Nonlinear fitness surfaces varied substantially among trait subsets, revealing one-, two-, and three-peak landscapes, demonstrating the complexity of selection in the wild, even among similar functional traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher H Martin
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Campus Box 3280, 120 South Road, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-3280.
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22
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Ingley SJ, Johnson JB. Divergent natural selection promotes immigrant inviability at early and late stages of evolutionary divergence. Evolution 2016; 70:600-16. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.12872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2015] [Accepted: 01/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Spencer J. Ingley
- Evolutionary Ecology Laboratories, Department of Biology; Brigham Young University; Provo Utah 84602
| | - Jerald B. Johnson
- Evolutionary Ecology Laboratories, Department of Biology; Brigham Young University; Provo Utah 84602
- Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum; Brigham Young University; Provo Utah 84602
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23
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Timm-Davis LL, DeWitt TJ, Marshall CD. Divergent Skull Morphology Supports Two Trophic Specializations in Otters (Lutrinae). PLoS One 2015; 10:e0143236. [PMID: 26649575 PMCID: PMC4674116 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Variation in terrestrial mammalian skull morphology is known to constrain feeding performance, which in turn influences dietary habits and ultimately fitness. Among mustelids, otters have evolved two feeding specializations: underwater raptorial capture of prey (mouth-oriented) and capture of prey by hand (hand-oriented), both of which have likely associations with morphology and bite performance. However, feeding biomechanics and performance data for otters are sparse. The first goal of this study was to investigate the relationships between feeding morphology and bite performance among two mouth-oriented piscivores (Pteronura brasiliensis and Lontra canadensis) and two hand-oriented invertebrate specialists (Enhydra lutris and Aonyx cinerea). Since other vertebrate taxa that are mouth-oriented piscivores tend to possess longer skulls and mandibles, with jaws designed for increased velocity at the expense of biting capability, we hypothesized that mouth-oriented otters would also possess long, narrow skulls indicative of high velocity jaws. Conversely, hand-oriented otters were expected to possess short, blunt skulls with adaptations to increase bite force and crushing capability. Concomitant with these skull shapes we hypothesized that sea otters would possess a greater mandibular bluntness index, providing for a greater mechanical advantage compared to other otter species investigated. A second goal was to examine morphological variation at a finer scale by assessing variation in cranial morphology among three sea otter subspecies. Since diet varies among these subspecies, and their populations are isolated, we hypothesized that the magnitude of mandibular bluntness and concomitant mechanical advantage, as well as occlusal surface area would also vary within species according to their primary food source (fish versus hard invertebrates). Functional expectations were met for comparisons among and within species. Among species the phylogeny suggests a deeply rooted transition to alternative foraging types. Yet within foraging types alternative species were also strongly variable, suggesting either selective differences in the extent or nature of realized foraging mode, or an accumulation of non-adaptive changes during the long independent evolutionary history. At the finest scale, variation among subspecies indicates that trophic adaptation occurred rapidly, making it interesting that we happened to find both deeply and shallowly-rooted transformations associated with diet type in otter species and subspecies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lori L. Timm-Davis
- Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, United States of America
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University, 200 Seawolf Parkway, Galveston, TX, 77553, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Thomas J. DeWitt
- Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, United States of America
| | - Christopher D. Marshall
- Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, United States of America
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University, 200 Seawolf Parkway, Galveston, TX, 77553, United States of America
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24
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Dijk B, Laurila A, Orizaola G, Johansson F. Is one defence enough? Disentangling the relative importance of morphological and behavioural predator-induced defences. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-2040-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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25
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Gvoždík L, Smolinský R. Body size, swimming speed, or thermal sensitivity? Predator-imposed selection on amphibian larvae. BMC Evol Biol 2015; 15:238. [PMID: 26525734 PMCID: PMC4630873 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0522-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Many animals rely on their escape performance during predator encounters. Because of its dependence on body size and temperature, escape velocity is fully characterized by three measures, absolute value, size-corrected value, and its response to temperature (thermal sensitivity). The primary target of the selection imposed by predators is poorly understood. We examined predator (dragonfly larva)-imposed selection on prey (newt larvae) body size and characteristics of escape velocity using replicated and controlled predation experiments under seminatural conditions. Specifically, because these species experience a wide range of temperatures throughout their larval phases, we predict that larvae achieving high swimming velocities across temperatures will have a selective advantage over more thermally sensitive individuals. Results Nonzero selection differentials indicated that predators selected for prey body size and both absolute and size-corrected maximum swimming velocity. Comparison of selection differentials with control confirmed selection only on body size, i.e., dragonfly larvae preferably preyed on small newt larvae. Maximum swimming velocity and its thermal sensitivity showed low group repeatability, which contributed to non-detectable selection on both characteristics of escape performance. Conclusions In the newt-dragonfly larvae interaction, body size plays a more important role than maximum values and thermal sensitivity of swimming velocity during predator escape. This corroborates the general importance of body size in predator–prey interactions. The absence of an appropriate control in predation experiments may lead to potentially misleading conclusions about the primary target of predator-imposed selection. Insights from predation experiments contribute to our understanding of the link between performance and fitness, and further improve mechanistic models of predator–prey interactions and food web dynamics. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-015-0522-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lumír Gvoždík
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology AS CR, Květná 8, CZ 60365, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Radovan Smolinský
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology AS CR, Květná 8, CZ 60365, Brno, Czech Republic.
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26
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Bennett A, Murray D. Carryover effects of phenotypic plasticity: embryonic environment and larval response to predation risk in Wood Frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) and Northern Leopard Frogs (Lithobates pipiens). CAN J ZOOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2015-0129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Limitations of phenotypic plasticity affect the success of individuals and populations in changing environments. We assessed the plasticity-history limitation on predator-induced defenses in anurans (Wood Frogs, Lithobates sylvaticus (LeConte, 1825), and Northern Leopard Frogs, Lithobates pipiens (Schreber, 1782)), predicting that plastic responses to predation risk by dragonfly larvae (family Aeshnidae) in the embryonic environment would limit the defensive response to predators in the larval environment. Predator-conditioned Wood Frog embryos increased relative tail depth in response to those same cues as larvae, whereas predator-naive tadpoles did not. However, no carryover effect was noted in the behavioural response of Wood Frog tadpoles to predation risk. Predator-naive Northern Leopard Frog tadpoles increased relative tail depth in response to predation risk in the larval environment. Predator-conditioned Northern Leopard Frog embryos hatched with, and maintained, a marginal increase in tail depth as larvae in the absence of predation risk. Predator-conditioned Northern Leopard Frog embryos exposed to predation risk as larvae showed no morphological response. While we find no strong support for the plasticity-history limitation per se, carryover effects across embryonic and larval life-history stages were noted in both Wood Frog and Northern Leopard Frog, suggesting that predation risk early in ontogeny can influence the outcome of future interactions with predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- A.M. Bennett
- Environmental and Life Sciences, Environmental Science Building, Suite A211, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada
| | - D.L. Murray
- Department of Biology, Life and Health Sciences Building, Block D, Trent University, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada
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27
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Thermal dependence of sprint performance in the lizard Psammodromus algirus along a 2200-meter elevational gradient: Cold-habitat lizards do not perform better at low temperatures. J Therm Biol 2015; 52:90-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2015.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2015] [Revised: 06/01/2015] [Accepted: 06/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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28
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Johnson JB, Saenz D, Adams CK, Hibbitts TJ. Naturally occurring variation in tadpole morphology and performance linked to predator regime. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:2991-3002. [PMID: 26357533 PMCID: PMC4559044 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2014] [Revised: 01/11/2015] [Accepted: 04/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Divergent natural selection drives a considerable amount of the phenotypic and genetic variation observed in natural populations. For example, variation in the predator community can generate conflicting selection on behavioral, life-history, morphological, and performance traits. Differences in predator regime can subsequently increase phenotypic and genetic variations in the population and result in the evolution of reproductive barriers (ecological speciation) or phenotypic plasticity. We evaluated morphology and swimming performance in field collected Bronze Frog larvae (Lithobates clamitans) in ponds dominated by predatory fish and those dominated by invertebrate predators. Based on previous experimental findings, we hypothesized that tadpoles from fish-dominated ponds would have small bodies, long tails, and large tail muscles and that these features would facilitate fast-start speed. We also expected to see increased tail fin depth (i.e., the tail-lure morphology) in tadpoles from invertebrate-dominated ponds. Our results support our expectations with respect to morphology in affecting swimming performance of tadpoles in fish-dominated ponds. Furthermore, it is likely that divergent natural selection is playing a role in the diversification on morphology and locomotor performance in this system.
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Affiliation(s)
- James B Johnson
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University College Station, Texas, 77843
| | - Daniel Saenz
- USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station Nacogdoches, Texas, 75965
| | - Cory K Adams
- USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station Nacogdoches, Texas, 75965
| | - Toby J Hibbitts
- Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University College Station, Texas, 77843
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29
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Segev O, Polevikove A, Blank L, Goedbloed D, Küpfer E, Gershberg A, Koplovich A, Blaustein L. Effects of Tail Clipping on Larval Performance and Tail Regeneration Rates in the Near Eastern Fire Salamander, Salamandra infraimmaculata. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0128077. [PMID: 26065683 PMCID: PMC4466261 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2014] [Accepted: 04/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Tail-tip clipping is a common technique for collecting tissue samples from amphibian larvae and adults. Surprisingly, studies of this invasive sampling procedure or of natural tail clipping--i.e., bites inflicted by predators including conspecifics--on the performance and fitness of aquatic larval stages of urodeles are scarce. We conducted two studies in which we assessed the effects of posterior tail clipping (~30 percent of tail) on Near Eastern fire salamander (Salamandra infraimmaculata) larvae. In a laboratory study, we checked regeneration rates of posterior tail-tip clipping at different ages. Regeneration rates were hump-shaped, peaking at the age of ~30 days and then decreasing. This variation in tail regeneration rates suggests tradeoffs in resource allocation between regeneration and somatic growth during early and advanced development. In an outdoor artificial pond experiment, under constant larval densities, we assessed how tail clipping of newborn larvae affects survival to, time to, and size at metamorphosis. Repeated measures ANOVA on mean larval survival per pond revealed no effect of tail clipping. Tail clipping had correspondingly no effect on larval growth and development expressed in size (mass and snout-vent length) at, and time to, metamorphosis. We conclude that despite the given variation in tail regeneration rates throughout larval ontogeny, clipping of 30% percent of the posterior tail area seems to have no adverse effects on larval fitness and survival. We suggest that future use of this imperative tool for the study of amphibian should take into account larval developmental stage during the time of application and not just the relative size of the clipped tail sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ori Segev
- Institute of Evolution and Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Antonina Polevikove
- Institute of Evolution and Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Lior Blank
- Institute of Evolution and Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
- Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, ARO, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, 50250, Israel
| | - Daniel Goedbloed
- Technical University of Braunschweig, Zoological Institute, Braunschweig, 38106, Germany
| | - Eliane Küpfer
- Technical University of Braunschweig, Zoological Institute, Braunschweig, 38106, Germany
| | - Anna Gershberg
- Institute of Evolution and Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Avi Koplovich
- Institute of Evolution and Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Leon Blaustein
- Institute of Evolution and Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
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30
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Binning SA, Ros AFH, Nusbaumer D, Roche DG. Physiological plasticity to water flow habitat in the damselfish, Acanthochromis polyacanthus: linking phenotype to performance. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0121983. [PMID: 25807560 PMCID: PMC4373956 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0121983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2014] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationships among animal form, function and performance are complex, and vary across environments. Therefore, it can be difficult to identify morphological and/or physiological traits responsible for enhancing performance in a given habitat. In fishes, differences in swimming performance across water flow gradients are related to morphological variation among and within species. However, physiological traits related to performance have been less well studied. We experimentally reared juvenile damselfish, Acanthochromis polyacanthus, under different water flow regimes to test 1) whether aspects of swimming physiology and morphology show plastic responses to water flow, 2) whether trait divergence correlates with swimming performance and 3) whether flow environment relates to performance differences observed in wild fish. We found that maximum metabolic rate, aerobic scope and blood haematocrit were higher in wave-reared fish compared to fish reared in low water flow. However, pectoral fin shape, which tends to correlate with sustained swimming performance, did not differ between rearing treatments or collection sites. Maximum metabolic rate was the best overall predictor of individual swimming performance; fin shape and fish total length were 3.3 and 3.7 times less likely than maximum metabolic rate to explain differences in critical swimming speed. Performance differences induced in fish reared in different flow environments were less pronounced than in wild fish but similar in direction. Our results suggest that exposure to water motion induces plastic physiological changes which enhance swimming performance in A. polyacanthus. Thus, functional relationships between fish morphology and performance across flow habitats should also consider differences in physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra A Binning
- Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia; Eco-Éthologie, Institut de Biologie, Université de Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Albert F H Ros
- Eco-Éthologie, Institut de Biologie, Université de Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - David Nusbaumer
- Eco-Éthologie, Institut de Biologie, Université de Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Dominique G Roche
- Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia; Eco-Éthologie, Institut de Biologie, Université de Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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31
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32
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Van Buskirk J. Incipient habitat race formation in an amphibian. J Evol Biol 2014; 27:585-92. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2013] [Revised: 11/17/2013] [Accepted: 12/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. Van Buskirk
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology & Environmental Studies; University of Zürich; Zürich Switzerland
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Arrighi JM, Lencer ES, Jukar A, Park D, Phillips PC, Kaplan RH. Daily temperature fluctuations unpredictably influence developmental rate and morphology at a critical early larval stage in a frog. BMC Ecol 2013; 13:18. [PMID: 23641898 PMCID: PMC3653820 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6785-13-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2013] [Accepted: 04/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Environmental temperature has profound consequences for early amphibian development and many field and laboratory studies have examined this. Most laboratory studies that have characterized the influence of temperature on development in amphibians have failed to incorporate the realities of diel temperature fluctuations (DTF), which can be considerable for pond-breeding amphibians. Results We evaluated the effects of different ecologically relevant ranges of DTF compared with effects of constant temperatures on development of embryos and larvae of the Korean fire-bellied toad (Bombina orientalis). We constructed thermal reaction norms for developmental stage, snout- vent length, and tail length by fitting a Gompertz-Gaussian function to measurements taken from embryos after 66 hours of development in 12 different constant temperature environments between 14°C and 36°C. We used these reaction norms as null models to test the hypothesis that developmental effects of DTF are more than the sum of average constant temperature effects over the distribution of temperatures experienced. We predicted from these models that growth and differentiation would be positively correlated with average temperature at low levels of DTF but not at higher levels of DTF. We tested our prediction in the laboratory by rearing B. orientalis embryos at three average temperatures (20°C, 24°C, and 28°C) and four levels of thermal variation (0°C, 6°C, 13°C, and 20°C). Several of the observed responses to DTF were significantly different from both predictions of the model and from responses in constant temperature treatments at the same average temperatures. At an average temperature of 24°C, only the highest level of DTF affected differentiation and growth rates, but at both cooler and warmer average temperatures, moderate DTF was enough to slow developmental and tail growth rates. Conclusions These results demonstrate that both the magnitude of DTF range and thermal averages need to be considered simultaneously when parsing the effects of changing thermal environments on complex developmental responses, particularly when they have potential functional and adaptive significance.
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Middlemis Maher J, Werner EE, Denver RJ. Stress hormones mediate predator-induced phenotypic plasticity in amphibian tadpoles. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20123075. [PMID: 23466985 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.3075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Amphibian tadpoles display extensive anti-predator phenotypic plasticity, reducing locomotory activity and, with chronic predator exposure, developing relatively smaller trunks and larger tails. In many vertebrates, predator exposure alters activity of the neuroendocrine stress axis. We investigated predator-induced effects on stress hormone production and the mechanistic link to anti-predator defences in Rana sylvatica tadpoles. Whole-body corticosterone (CORT) content was positively correlated with predator biomass in natural ponds. Exposure to caged predators in mesocosms caused a reduction in CORT by 4 hours, but increased CORT after 4 days. Tadpoles chronically exposed to exogenous CORT developed larger tails relative to their trunks, matching morphological changes induced by predator chemical cue; this predator effect was blocked by the corticosteroid biosynthesis inhibitor metyrapone. Tadpole tail explants treated in vitro with CORT increased tissue weight, suggesting that CORT acts directly on the tail. Short-term treatment of tadpoles with CORT increased predation mortality, likely due to increased locomotory activity. However, long-term CORT treatment enhanced survivorship, likely due to induced morphology. Our findings support the hypothesis that tadpole physiological and behavioural/morphological responses to predation are causally interrelated. Tadpoles initially suppress CORT and behaviour to avoid capture, but increase CORT with longer exposure, inducing adaptive phenotypic changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Middlemis Maher
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1048, USA.
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Orizaola G, Dahl E, Nicieza AG, Laurila A. Larval life history and anti-predator strategies are affected by breeding phenology in an amphibian. Oecologia 2012; 171:873-81. [PMID: 22976774 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-012-2456-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2011] [Accepted: 08/23/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Seasonal time constraints can pose strong selection on life histories. Time-constrained animals should prioritise fast development over predation risk to avoid unfavourable growing conditions. However, changes in phenology could alter the balance between anti-predator and developmental needs. We studied variation of anti-predator strategies in common frog (Rana temporaria) tadpoles in four populations from the two extremes of a latitudinal gradient across Sweden. We examined, under common conditions in the laboratory, the anti-predator responses and life histories of tadpoles raised with predatory Aeshna dragonfly larvae in two consecutive years with a difference of 20 days in breeding time in the north, but no difference in breeding time in the nouth. In a year with late breeding, northern tadpoles did not modify their behaviour and morphology in the presence of predators, and metamorphosed faster and smaller than tadpoles born in a year with early breeding. In the year with early breeding, northern tadpoles showed a completely different anti-predator strategy by reducing activity and developing morphological defences in the presence of predators. We discuss the possible mechanisms that could activate these responses (likely a form of environmentally-mediated parental effect). To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that a vertebrate modifies the anti-predator strategy of its offspring in response to natural variation in reproductive phenology, which highlights the need to consider phenology in studies of life-history evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Germán Orizaola
- Population and Conservation Biology/Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Hossie TJ, Murray DL. Assessing behavioural and morphological responses of frog tadpoles to temporal variability in predation risk. J Zool (1987) 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2012.00955.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- T. J. Hossie
- Ottawa-Carleton Institute of Biology; Carleton University; Ottawa; ON; Canada
| | - D. L. Murray
- Department of Biology; Trent University; Peterborough; ON; Canada
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Watson CM, Roelke CE, Pasichnyk PN, Cox CL. The fitness consequences of the autotomous blue tail in lizards: an empirical test of predator response using clay models. ZOOLOGY 2012; 115:339-44. [PMID: 22938695 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2012.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2011] [Revised: 03/30/2012] [Accepted: 04/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Numerous vertebrates employ one or more autotomous body parts as an anti-predation mechanism. Many lizards possess an autotomous tail that is brightly colored blue, which has been suggested to either serve as a decoy mechanism to divert predator attention to the autotomous body part, as an interspecific signal, or as an aposematic signal to predators that it is distasteful or dangerous. While theoretical studies suggest that a conspicuous autotomous body part that increases the probability of escape while not increasing the rate of detection will be favorable over a completely cryptic form, there is little empirical evidence supporting the adaptive benefit of an autotomous blue tail. We used in situ clay models of a scincid lizard to test the fitness consequences of blue coloration. Lizard models with a dark base color and blue decoy coloration experienced no measurable difference in avian predation relative to an all-dark model, which suggests that blue coloration neither serves as an aposematic signal nor increases the conspicuousness of the lizard model. Despite statistically similar attack rates, avian attacks on models with blue coloration were indeed focused on body sections that were colored blue. Our results suggest that the blue tail in lizards serves as an effective decoy, and that avian predation has possibly played a role in the evolution of the blue tail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles M Watson
- Department of Biology and Health Sciences, McNeese State University, Box 92000, Lake Charles, LA 70609, USA.
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Eads AR, Mitchell NJ, Evans JP. PATTERNS OF GENETIC VARIATION IN DESICCATION TOLERANCE IN EMBRYOS OF THE TERRESTRIAL-BREEDING FROG, PSEUDOPHRYNE GUENTHERI. Evolution 2012; 66:2865-77. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2012.01616.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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MICHEL MATTJ. Phenotypic plasticity in complex environments: effects of structural complexity on predator- and competitor-induced phenotypes of tadpoles of the wood frog, Rana sylvatica. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2011.01831.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Predator mediated selection and the impact of developmental stage on viability in wood frog tadpoles (Rana sylvatica). BMC Evol Biol 2011; 11:353. [PMID: 22151372 PMCID: PMC3283531 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-11-353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2011] [Accepted: 12/07/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Complex life histories require adaptation of a single organism for multiple ecological niches. Transitions between life stages, however, may expose individuals to an increased risk of mortality, as the process of metamorphosis typically includes developmental stages that function relatively poorly in both the pre- and post-metamorphic habitat. We studied predator-mediated selection on tadpoles of the wood frog, Rana sylvatica, to identify this hypothesized period of differential predation risk and estimate its ontogenetic onset. We reared tadpoles in replicated mesocosms in the presence of the larval odonate Anax junius, a known tadpole predator. Results The probability of tadpole survival increased with increasing age and size, but declined steeply at the point in development where hind limbs began to erupt from the body wall. Selection gradient analyses indicate that natural selection favored tadpoles with short, deep tail fins. Tadpoles resorb their tails as they progress toward metamorphosis, which may have led to the observed decrease in survivorship. Path models revealed that selection acted directly on tail morphology, rather than through its indirect influence on swimming performance. Conclusions This is consistent with the hypothesis that tail morphology influences predation rates by reducing the probability a predator strikes the head or body.
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Effects of causal networks on the structure and stability of resource allocation trait correlations. J Theor Biol 2011; 293:1-14. [PMID: 22004994 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2011.09.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2010] [Revised: 09/16/2011] [Accepted: 09/30/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Discovering the mechanisms by which genetic variation influences phenotypes is integral to understanding life-history evolution. Models describing causal relationships among traits in a developmental hierarchy provide a functional basis for understanding the correlations often observed among life-history traits. In this paper, we evaluate a developmental network model of life-history traits based on the perennial herb Arabidopsis lyrata, evaluate phenotypic, genetic, and environmental covariance matrices obtained under different scenarios of quantitative trait locus (QTL) effects in simulated crosses, test the efficacy of structural equation modeling to identify the correct basis for multiple-trait QTL effects, and compare model predictions with field data. We found that the trait network constrained the phenotypic covariance patterns to varying degrees, depending on which traits were directly affected by QTLs. Genetic and environmental covariance matrices were strongly correlated only when direct QTL effects were spread over many traits. Structural equation models that included all simulated traits correctly identified traits directly affected by QTLs, but heuristic search algorithms found several network structures other than the correct one that also fit the data closely. Estimated correlations among a subset of traits in F(2) data from field studies corresponded closely to model predictions when simulated QTLs affected traits known to differ between the parental populations. Our results show that causal trait network models can unify several aspects of quantitative genetic theory with empirical observations on genetic and phenotypic covariance patterns, and that incorporating trait networks into genetic analysis offers promise for elucidating mechanisms of life history evolution.
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Alton LA, White CR, Wilson RS, Franklin CE. The energetic cost of exposure to UV radiation for tadpoles is greater when they live with predators. Funct Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2011.01900.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Orizaola G, Dahl E, Laurila A. Reversibility of predator-induced plasticity and its effect at a life-history switch point. OIKOS 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2011.19050.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Hettyey A, Vincze K, Zsarnóczai S, Hoi H, Laurila A. Costs and benefits of defences induced by predators differing in dangerousness. J Evol Biol 2011; 24:1007-19. [PMID: 21332859 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02233.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A Hettyey
- Konrad Lorenz Institute for Ethology, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Savoyenstrasse 1A, Vienna, Austria.
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Alton LA, Wilson RS, Franklin CE. A small increase in UV-B increases the susceptibility of tadpoles to predation. Proc Biol Sci 2011; 278:2575-83. [PMID: 21270039 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2010.2368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Increased ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation as a consequence of ozone depletion is one of the many potential drivers of ongoing global amphibian declines. Both alone and in combination with other environmental stressors, UV-B is known to have detrimental effects on the early life stages of amphibians, but our understanding of the fitness consequences of these effects remains superficial. We examined the independent and interactive effects of UV-B and predatory chemical cues (PCC) on a suite of traits of Limnodynastes peronii embryos and tadpoles, and assessed tadpole survival time in a predator environment to evaluate the potential fitness consequences. Exposure to a 3 to 6 per cent increase in UV-B, which is comparable to changes in terrestrial UV-B associated with ozone depletion, had no effect on any of the traits measured, except survival time in a predator environment, which was reduced by 22 to 28 per cent. Exposure to PCC caused tadpoles to hatch earlier, have reduced hatching success, have improved locomotor performance and survive for longer in a predator environment, but had no effect on tadpole survival, behaviour or morphology. Simultaneous exposure to UV-B and PCC resulted in no interactive effects. These findings demonstrate that increased UV-B has the potential to reduce tadpole fitness, while exposure to PCCs improves their fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lesley A Alton
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
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Arendt J. Morphological correlates of sprint swimming speed in five species of spadefoot toad tadpoles: Comparison of morphometric methods. J Morphol 2010; 271:1044-52. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.10851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Domenici P. Context-dependent variability in the components of fish escape response: integrating locomotor performance and behavior. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 313:59-79. [PMID: 20073047 DOI: 10.1002/jez.580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Escape responses are used by most fish species in order to avoid predation. Escape responses include a number of behavioral and kinematic components, such as responsiveness, reaction distance, escape latency, directionality, and distance-derived performance. All of these components can contribute to escape success. Work on the context-dependent variability has focused on reaction distance, and suggests that this component is largely determined by the relative cost and benefits of escaping (economic hypothesis). For example, reaction distance was found to depend on many factors related to perceived risk and cost of escaping, such as the attack speed and size of the predators, the proximity to refuges, and engagement in other activities (e.g., feeding). Evidence from many behavioral, kinematic, and physiological studies suggest that performance in other components of the escape response is also not always maximized. For example, escape latencies may increase in the presence of schooling neighbors, and escape speed is higher in fish that have been subject to higher predation pressure. In addition, all escape components are further modulated by the effect of environmental factors. Variability in escape components can be interpreted by using both ultimate and proximate explanations, for example, the effect of stimulus strength on escape latency can be interpreted as the triggering neural threshold varying with stimulus strength (proximate explanation) and high intensity stimuli representing higher risk to the prey (ultimate explanation). An integrative approach is suggested for a full, ecologically relevant, assessment of escape performance in fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Domenici
- CNR-IAMC Localitá Sa Mardini, Torregrande, Oristano, Italy.
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Urban MC. Microgeographic adaptations of spotted salamander morphological defenses in response to a predaceous salamander and beetle. OIKOS 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2009.17970.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Buskirk JV. Natural variation in morphology of larval amphibians: Phenotypic plasticity in nature? ECOL MONOGR 2009. [DOI: 10.1890/08-1692.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Denver RJ. Stress hormones mediate environment-genotype interactions during amphibian development. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2009; 164:20-31. [PMID: 19393659 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2009.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 178] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2009] [Revised: 04/13/2009] [Accepted: 04/17/2009] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Environments experienced by organisms during early development shape the character and timing of developmental processes, leading to different probabilities of survival in the developmental habitat, and often profound effects on phenotypic expression later in life. Amphibian larvae have immense capacity for plasticity in behavior, morphology, growth and development rate. This creates the potential for extreme variation in the timing of, and size at metamorphosis, and subsequent phenotype in the juvenile and adult stage. Hormones of the neuroendocrine stress axis play pivotal roles in mediating environmental effects on animal development. Corticotropin-releasing factor, whose secretion by hypothalamic neurons is induced by environmental stress, influences the timing of amphibian metamorphosis by controlling the activity of the thyroid and interrenal (adrenal; corticosteroids) glands. At target tissues, corticosteroids synergize with thyroid hormone to promote metamorphosis. Thus, environmental stress acts centrally to increase the activity of the two principle endocrine axes controlling metamorphosis, and the effectors of these axes synergize at the level of target tissues to promote morphogenesis. While stress hormones can promote survival in a deteriorating larval habitat, costs may be incurred such as reduced tadpole growth and size at metamorphosis. Furthermore, exposure to elevated corticosteroids early in life can cause permanent changes in the expression of genes of the neuroendocrine stress axis, leading to altered physiology and behavior in the juvenile/adult stage. Persistent effects of stress hormone actions early in life may have important fitness consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Denver
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, 3065C Kraus Building, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1048, USA.
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